Incandescent igniter for gas-engines.



'No. 842,607.- PATENTED JAN. 29, 1901.

O. A ANDERS ON, E. A. BRIGKSON & J. WIGKSTROM. INOANDBSGENT IGNITBR FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1904.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

O. A. ANDERSON, E. A. ERiOKSON & J. WIGKSTROM.

Will (656W,

INCANDBSGENT IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1904. I

- s SHEETS-SHBET 2.

- PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. G. -A. ANDERSON, A. BRIG KSON & J. WIOKSTROM.

, INflANDBSflENTlGN'lTfifl FOR GAS ENGINES.

urm oflimfn'l'gfin JUNE 13, 1904.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3;

" a STATES PATENT QHALRLES ANDERSON, ERICK A. ERICKSON; ANDLJIOHN wroKs'T'Ro or o'HIci eo,

ILLINOIS.

INCANDE SCENTlG-NlTER FOR GAS-ENGINES;

noQsaaeoz Specification of Letters Patent.

" Patented as. 29, 19074 Applicatio ii filed 1904. Serial No. 212.377.

\ltwfiom it may concern;

Be it'known that we, CnARLEsA. ANDER- soN, Enron-A. ERIC-KSON, and JOHN, WICK- s 'rnoM, citizensiofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have,invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incandescent'Igniters for Gas-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification. a

his invention relates to improvements in gas-"engines, and relates more particularly to improvements upon that type of" engine shown in United States Letters Patent No.

vii-114,352, granted to us November 25, 1902. ffgAmong the salient objects of the present invention are to provide an improved con.-

etruction and arrangement of the ignition devices-whereby the explosive charges are "greater certainty and uniformity, to provide improved details of construction and arrangement whereby the ignition-tube is initially heated, to provide an improved construction for effecting the transfer of the compressed charge from between the pair of coopem ting pistons to the explosion-chamber without passing the gas over the surface of either piston, thereby avoiding the deposit of carbon upon the cylinder and maintaining the cleanliness of the latter, and in general toprovide improvements in the details of con struction and arrangement in an engine of the character referred to.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described,- and more particularlynointed out in the appended claims, and will he readily understood from the following description, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view showing the principal arts of an engine embodying our invention invertical axial section. Fig.2 is an enlarged .detail of the upper end portion of the cylinder and connected parts, likewiseshown in axial section. w Fig.3 is atop planviewoft ie'initial heat-er or-burner by means of which the ignition-tube is initially heated. Fig.4 is.a fragmentary sectional detail of an interme- Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a wholei the cylinder of the engine, arranged in the present instance vertically, the upper end -diate portion of thecylinder; and pistons of said cylinderbeing closed and constituting the combustion or expansion chamber 2.

3 designates as a whole a frame-casing which constitutes the mainframe of the engine and ineloses the principal operative parts of the engine, the lowerendlof the cylinder beingarranged to 0 en' into said casing. 4;designa-tes as a whol e the main shaft of the'engin'e, which extends through the casing 3: and is provided within the latter, with a crank 5, aving a wrist 6, upon which is mounted a pit-man-link 7.

8 and 9, respectively, designate two trunk-- pistons, the lower one of which will be hereinafter referred to as the power-piston, while the other will be desi nated the transferpist'on. The pitlnanink 7 is directly connected with the power-piston by means of a suitable wrist or hearing 10. he transferpiston is provided with a stem 11, which extends axiallyout through the power-piston and carries at its lower extremity a slideshoe 12, working in a suitable uideway 13, formed in the lower part of the i ra1ne-casing, a packing-gland 14 being (provided at the point where the piston-r0 '11 enters the power-piston 8. The transfer-piston is connected with the crankof the main shaft indirectly by means of a link 15, connected at one end with the slide-shoe 12 and at its 01) osite end with the shorter end of the pitmanink 7. In this-engine, as in the engine described in our previous patent referred to, the axis of the main shaft is located laterally remote from the axisof the cylinder, and the connections of the two pistons with the crank of the; main shaft are such as to produce a differential movement of the pistons' relatively toeach stance equipped with vaporizing 'mechan- I ism for converting liquid-into gas and is provided with inlets for both-carbureted-vapor and for air, which is atlniixedwith vapor after vided at its u per side with a-ninletepipe 17 entering the cylinder. To this end a inixing head 16 is supportedadjacent to one side ofthe lower portion of the cylinder and prothrou 'h whic 1 the vaporizedfuel; is drawn,

, a suction-pipe 18, leading from the side of the head, communicating with the'interior of the cylinder, as indicated in dotted lines at 19,-

and with an entraining-hood 20, which com municates with the lower side of the he ad and" municates with 'vaporiz'ingchannels 21,

formed to extend circu'niferenti ally faround thegieriphery. of the rectangular base-casting 22, s the base of the burner by rne'ans of, which the ignition-tuhe is initially heated.

23 "designates an oil, supply pipe; which communicateswith the passages 21 of the by-pass and referring to Fig. 1,..41 desi nates casting 22 said pipe rising vertically to a point near, the upper end of the" casing 24, which is mounted-upon saidbase casting, is thence deflected horizontally through the pp;

per part of said-casing, and communicates at the opposite end of the l'atterwitha supplypipe 25,- connected with any suitable source ofs'u plyl; A needle-valve 26 intersects the supp y-pipe .25. At a point within the casing 24 the pipe 23 is desirably provided with a plurality of integral fingers or extensions 27, which serve to conductthe heat more effectively to the pipe 23, and'thus to insure athorough vaporization of the fuel. 28 (19s ignates an. air-. inlet'aport. which; 'commu:

, nicates with the interior of the cylinder fat a. point a proximately'ooincident longitudinallywit the gas-inlet 19, but disposed'an -gularly with reference to the latter, so as to effect a more thorough mixing-of the air and 4 nicatin'g with the expansion-chamber. portion of the cylinder and. leadin to ,anex-haust pipe 30, a-valve-casing 31 ein'g interposed etween' the cylinder exhaust-outlet and the In onepart'of the cycle the upper end of the power-piston descends below the inlets. 19 and 28, and while in this-position the tr'ans-, -fer-pist'onrecedes from the power-piston or moves upwardly, thus. drawing in a charge of as and air. Thereafter" the power-piston ollows up" the transfer-piston, transferring the charge past the transfer-piston to the ex pansion end of-the cylinder. In the construction of our former patenthown in detail in Fig. 3,) and constituting 9.de s 1gnates an exhaust-passage commuvided' witlra; series of jet-openings 47,- w

lead radially inwardly and discharge into theall of the combustible gases were transferred past the sides of'th'e transfer-piston; but in the-present engine most of the charge is transferred through a by-pass,'althoug h provision is also made for the transfer of some of. the gas between the sides of the transfer-pie] ton and. the interior- 0f the cylinden -To. this end theitransfer pis'tonis'provided, as in the former of '1'uction, with, an annular groove 36, ('sfej-detailiFi'Qf-4,lj.Withinwhich is arranged .a checkrva' l-ve'ring' 37, 'inletgroov'es 38, leading from thep'roxinia'te end of the piston longitudinally into the" tircumfereritial grooveSG, andoutlet-grooves 39,leading'frorr ithe main-groove 36 to the. inner endfof the transfer piston'. "The uppermost edge'of the check-valve ring=37 isradially grooved, as indicated' a/t 40, so thatitcan never close; the grooves, 39, while the opposite orflo'wer edge 'of the check-valve ring is constructed to-close the" inlet-passages 38 under the expansive action of the charge whenfired.

' Describing in detail the arrangement of the a tubularhielnber formed orim'oun'te upon the exterior of the ylinder, one end ofs'aid member communicating with the interior of the cylinder at a point approximately eoin-;- cident with'theupper limit of movement of the upper end of the power-piston; as indi-.' .catedn42, while itso'pposite end communicates with the expansion-chamber portion of 'the cylinder ata point slightly below the up--- per end of they transfer-piston when the latter is at' its uppermost-or innermost limit of fe construction cylinder and is convex fat'its under-side, as

indicated, in" Fig.1, so as to form an annular space"-44- bet ween the casting'-; a-nd the cylin- 1:55 movement. \Yithin the tubular n1emher'4 1-.' is 'arranged ache'ck-valve 43, which closes by= .gravity'and prevents the hackflow ofgases tier-head. The castingi2 2-is provided, with a "relativelylarge central opening if andfls also ofh llow-or tubular-construction, its interior constituting fan annular chamber 46, Ero- 7 ich centralopening of the casting, asiihdic-ated. I

clearly in'-Fi gs.' 1 and-2, The casting 22 is provided with a l'aterai tubular extens on with which [is connected a'n' 'entramingqiipe 49, vertically exposed and in 'axialalineinent wii h the disc-liarge-op'ening' 'of .theneedle valve 26, hereinbefo-re referred to;

50 designatesan -ignitiontube at its outer end and threaded 'at its'oppcsite end into the cylinder-head, as indicatedat 51, and '52 designates adis :laement-pluhgel mount' ed. upon the end- 0f the"transfer p iston and ioperating to entet the' ignition-tube-jand displace the gases contained thereinupon eachreciprocation of the piston. j The diameter of the displacement plun'ger is substantially less the gas may'readil-y' flow out alongside of he plunger as itexpands.

53 designatesan inner .tubularcasing seatfed upon the base-casting of the burner con-.

. The operation of the engine constructed as described has been substantially indicated in, connection with the description of the meo hanism,,but may be briefly repeated and is as follows: -When it is desii'edto start the 1 engine, the casing ntithin'rifvy hichflthe needlevalve 26 is seatedmay be heated temporarily by the application of a torch to a sufficient degree 'to vaporizeithe fuel, whereupen the needle is'opened and the jetof gas projectedinto the entrainin'g-tube 49', The entrained air and gas passes through the jet-openings, 47, and the burner is ignited byt'applying'lla" torch to theinterior of the casing 53', where:

upon. the ignition-tube .isgapidlyy heated t o r .mcandescence, the products charge of gasg-in the' expansion end Lofthe cylinder is :compressed, and the combined action of com pres'sion and the heatoflths 'i ni'tiontube ignites the charge and imparts the outstroke to the noted that; the instr piston occur advance ofthe instroke of] the power-piston,- the exhaust-valve belng opened during the inward travel of iferepiston, thus permi "gjthc ,exha .take place; while; this thc trans st to charge .to the expansion end yer thecy'line der, as 'hereinbefore described, the exhaust valve closing. at-fabout 'tlieytime :the power oo After'the engine-has been running a short inition-tube "in a state of; incandescence, t 's resultbcing'insured by housing in the \thanthe interior bf the ignition-tube, so t at secured to the top of the casing, asinclicated' -i'r m eeeiiescapingat this'time through-the opening 54- in the tubeio'f thepasing; ;-;Th'e ignition tlibe started in the usual way by turning its .m-ain As the two pistons move inwardlyv the-- pistons. It .i's-to 0 (es; of the, transfer s ike-'Qf; the I transfer-,piston-efiects v a separationl -of the} pistonsfand thus {suckS-in' the fresh chargebetween the tWo;""-f1he isucceeding follow-up I movement of the .15jower-piston transfers'tl e piston starts tLo-lfbllov'v up'the transfer piston.

time the expansion end thereof becomes I heated to such-an extenti'a'sto maintain 13. 911,

ignitiomtuhe 'andhcad; of the cylinder in.

:the manner described. When this condig tion is reached,- the nee dle-. -valve,26"is closed. thus interrupting the'actio-nof-the bur and the aperture in the upper end of the carsi11 2% closed. I w it is found in practicethat the use of the displacing-plunger 52 which enters the i nition-tube u on each stroke of the transferpiston, is a ecided iin' rovementin securihg regularitybf firing {in uniform and efficient 7 5 oombus'tionof the charges." ably-due in part to two cau eg amel plunger-being Within the eiipios'ion is itselfheated-to incandescehce ya 'd'th'ele" .fore cooperetes with. the niti'o ul rapidly raising a. thin' of body; of; "as to -theignition p(hint-While the hin'ger thin} e tube, an he'hlu g' r. -rt c i e t a ,to' disperse the ignition chargg whichof course ignites s ithin the tuheandburns orit- 3'5 \vardly into the; mainchamber of vthe g jc j linder.. urthermore, {the entrance the plnnger'into the-ignitionetube acts to-posi' tively displace thegxhaust 'gases therein," and s the p flugerjjs'tarts to wvithdrhw, which 0,.

occurs prior 'to tlie power-piston reaching its inward limit of motion or dead center point',' createsan exhaust tionwhich results in effectively drawing i Ito the i nition-tube a ,charge of combustible-:igas.".flhedisplace 9 5 ffiientgofj the burninglgas es andidrawing in of the-fresh chargefobviously-greatly en- 'J-iiai 'ces the. certainty; t ion; 'and also -iims the ignitionvery enactlyl' a :Thefprovision of the'by-pas'js-for the transte'rofthe charge from between the pistons to thevekpansion-chambe U s feature of imfpb' ance, -forthe reasnew t prevents un fdue fcompression o f-lthe cher e between the pistons, fand thereforeeconojnizes in power; and.italso rovides a l pathfontlie transf er'fi iependent fo tli'izbwhich earls pastthe;transfer-piston: Owing-to the comparatively smallannular "space-for the'passage of the gas past thetrahsfer-piston, it is fo'und in practice th Q hispassagefsometimes -becomes .very siderably obstructed by the carbonizing o oil used as a lubricant for the pistons, any detrimental eflect' Which'such throttling .of the passagemight produce is obviatedgby the" provision of theby pass." Therear'e jother advantages incident to this feature.

VVhile. we have herein shown and described the preferred-, embodiment of ourim rov'e no ments, yet -it ist'o be understood that t, e de tails- -mav be modified {Without departing; r'rom the invention, and accordingly we do not limit ourselves to these'details except to the extent that they are made the subjectof :25

specific-claims. .Weclaimas our invention 1." In an explosive en inajthel combination of. a cylinder, two ing'. reciprocating pistons operating there n an igmtion-mhe 1 o g: sage s07 communicating with said. cyli -l'der, and displacerpli1ngen carried by one of said pistons and woiking in and out of said ignition-tube t i' f n of a cylinden two coacting reciprocating iston's operathig' therein, an ignition-tnhe having-a closed outer en'dandcommunicat- Ting atitsinn'er end-with said cylindena displacer-plunger :of sl'ibstantially smaller cross- .sectio'n -.than the "interior of,said ti 1 he.-ca1ried- Jag. on Qf said. pistons and Working. iniandj out O said iqni'ti'pn-tnbe; as said pistonfrec'iprog cates snhstantijallyasdescribed.

3".- In" an --explosive -'engine,- the". .comhina-Zf "the i'gnition-tube; admit-opening 'in said cas jai'c'ylindeija-powerepiston'and-a trans. ing and-movable closlir'e therefor, and means lfeifipi's't'onieciprqcating' itherein; an ig iitiipn tube. cona'mumc ating with the interior of sald adapted to enter and 'be-'witl idrawn fiyom' said ;ignition-tub,e asIsaid transfer-piston reciproe 1 cate s, and means tofm-ove said transferand flpower "pistons in lsuch'a manner-thatwhen saidjiowenpiston is at its limit of inward.

" Wi 5 fds r b a a a ,4. Inan expldsive cngl'ne, the comb1na lnov' nent saidcylinder said transfer-pis ton as accomplished part'of 'itsloutwar dv movemcnt, whereby. said displacer-plnngerg-com leted palft 'ofits-'ou'tstroke, snbs'tana v I .tionlof a cylinder; 2;; power-piston and 8i. tran's ,ferpistongifeclprocatln there n, an igint om tube closed a't-fone en and communicating "at itsiotlier end with the 'inte io'r of said cyl indenthroilgh one end' thereof, a disp'lacerpl nngei of s'ubstantialIy smaller 'cross-secf -ti0;n than theiinter'ioi of saidtubecarried by said tfransfenpiston-and'ada ted to enter -and be withdrawn fromsaidign-ition-tube as sand,

transfeipiston recipro'cat'es, and means to 1 move said transfer and power pistonsin suchl d h u 0 1 nd fl ii d $p ime by said transfer-piston "and a manner-that whensaid. power-piston at its limit of inward movement in said cylinder sand transfer-piston has acconiplislied part of its outward movement, whereby said .dis placei-plungerhas completed'p'ai't ofits outstroke, substantially as-describe'd.v

v15.1111 combination with an explosive-en gi'ne, acy'linder. closed at one'end,- anda pisan annnlaigasb urner mounted upon the end of the cylinder and encircling the ignitiontub e a .-c asingforming .in conn nction with theannnlajrgburnei. a complete mclosuie for for supplying fuelto said bnrner; A

'6..' 1n"c0inbination izvithan explosive-ene- "gin'e and @115 ignition-tube communicating with. the Icylin'dei' and protruding outside of. the lattef-,"an annular hollow bnrne1'castin arran ed to encircle said i tiomtubeian fiding from-- the cayity-of the castinginwardly toward the ignition-ti-ibe',- :an outer casing forming incon 'jnnctionwith said annula ea ing c0m-- "iflete housing for, the burner, a draft-opening" ed-with' j e'teopenings' in said out'el' -casing'and a movable closure ,ti* eref0 1" .an inne1: casing mounted uponsaid b11rneT-casting.-and' interspaced between the ignition-tube and the-.ontercasingsaid inner casi'ng being openat its end remote from the burner-cast ng, an entrairiing-piPe commu- Tnicating with the interior of tile burnencast Ling and mechanism for injecting a jet of gaseous fuel into said entrainlngplpe;

CHARLES A. ANDERSON.v ERICK A. EBIC-KSON. JOHN WIOKSTROM: '-Witnesses-:.

A ERT H. GRAV S FRsnEmc C. Goonwm. 

